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ROYAL NAVY (UNITED KINGDOM)

AIRCRAFT CARRYING SHIPS

MERCHANT AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (MAC-SHIPS) (EMPIRE MacALPINE)

Empire MacCallum 1944

EMPIRE MACALPINE class grain carriers / aircraft carriers

Name No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Empire MacAlpine MH Burntisland 11/8/1942 23/12/1942 14/4/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Empire MacKendrick MO Burntisland ? 29/9/1943 12/1943 sold mercantile 1945

 

 

Displacement standard, t

7950

Displacement full, t

12000

Length, m

139.9

Breadth, m

18.3

Draught, m

7.3

No of shafts

1

Machinery

Doxford diesel

Power, h. p.

3500

Max speed, kn

12.5

Fuel, t

diesel oil

Armament

1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 4 aircraft (Swordfish torpedo bombers)
Sensors type 271, 279 radars
Complement 107

Aircraft facilities (fd - 2,231m², ha - ~ 600m² / 4,380m³): Flight deck: 121.9 x 18.3m, hangar was 7.3m in height. There was a lift (12.8 x 6.7m, 4.5t). Aircraft fuel stowage was 22,700l.   

EMPIRE MACANDREW and EMPIRE MACRAE class grain carriers / aircraft carriers

Name No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Empire MacAndrew MK Denny, Dumbarton ? 3/5/1943 7/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Empire MacDermott MS Denny, Dumbarton ? 24/1/1944 3/1944 sold mercantile 1945
Empire MacRae MU Lithgows, Glasgow ? 21/6/1943 9/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Empire MacCallum MN Lithgows, Glasgow ? 12/10/1943 12/1943 sold mercantile 1945

 

Displacement standard, t

7950

Displacement full, t

12000

Length, m

136.5

Breadth, m

18.3

Draught, m

7.5

No of shafts

1

Machinery

Burmeister & Wain diesel

Power, h. p.

3300

Max speed, kn

12.5

Fuel, t

diesel oil

Armament

1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 4 aircraft (Swordfish torpedo bombers)
Sensors type 271, 279 radars
Complement 107

Aircraft facilities (fd - 2,231m², ha - ~ 600m² / 4,380m³): Flight deck: 121.9 x 18.3m, hangar was 7.3m in height. There was a lift (12.8 x 6.7m, 4.5t). Aircraft fuel stowage was 22,700l.   

EMPIRE MACKAY class tankers / aircraft carriers

Name No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Empire MacKay MH Harland & Wolff, Belfast ? 17/6/1943 10/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Empire MacColl MB Cammell Laird, Birkenhead ? 24/7/1943 11/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Empire MacMahon MJ Swan Hunter, Wallsend ? 2/7/1943 12/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Empire MacCabe MJ Swan Hunter, Wallsend ? 18/5/1943 12/1943 sold mercantile 1945

 

Displacement standard, t

Empire MacCabe: 9249

Empire MacColl: 9133

Empire MacKay: 8908

Empire MacMahon: 8856

Displacement full, t

~12000

Length, m

Empire MacCabe: 148.1

Empire MacColl: 146.8

Empire MacKay: 146.1

Empire MacMahon: 147.2

Breadth, m

Empire MacCabe: 18.8

Empire MacColl: 18.4

Empire MacKay: 18.6

Empire MacMahon: 17.9

Draught, m

8.3 - 8.5

No of shafts

1

Machinery

Empire MacCabe: Doxford diesel

Empire MacColl, Empire MacKay: Burmeister & Wain diesel

Empire MacMahon: Werspoor diesel

Power, h. p.

3300

Max speed, kn

11

Fuel, t

diesel oil

Armament

Empire MacCabe, Empire MacMahon: 1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 4 aircraft (Swordfish torpedo bombers)

Empire MacColl, Empire MacKay: 1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 3 aircraft (Swordfish torpedo bombers)
Sensors type 271, 279 radars
Complement 122

Aircraft facilities (fd - 2,456 - 2,579m², ha - 0m² / 0m³): Flight deck: 137.2 x 17.9 - 18.8m, there were no hangar and lift. Aircraft fuel stowage was 22,700l.   

RAPANA class tankers / aircraft carriers

Name No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Acavus MA Workman Clark, Belfast ? 24/11/1934 1/1935 // 10/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Adula MQ Blythswood, Scotstoun ? 28/1/1937 3/1937 // 2/1944 sold mercantile 1945
Alexia MP Bremer Vulkan, Germany ? 20/12/1934 4/1935 // 12/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Amastra MD Lithgows, Glasgow ? 18/12/1934 3/1935 // 9/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Ancylus MF Swan Hunter, Wallsend ? 9/10/1934 1/1935 // 10/1943 sold mercantile 1945
Gadila MX Howaldtswerke, Kiel, Germany ? 1/12/1934 4/1935 // 1/2/1944 to Netherlands 1/2/1944 (Gadila)
Macoma MR Nederlandse Dok, Amsterdam, Netherlands ? 31/12/1935 5/1936 // 1/4/1944 to Netherlands 1/4/1944 (Macoma)
Miralda MW Nederlandse Dok, Amsterdam, Netherlands ? 7/1936 7/1936 // 1/1944 sold mercantile 1945
Rapana MV Witton-Fijenoord, Schiedam, Netherlands ? 3/1935 4/1935 // 7/1943 sold mercantile 1945

 

Displacement standard, t

8000

Displacement full, t

16000

Length, m

146.6

Breadth, m

18.3

Draught, m

8.38

No of shafts

1

Machinery

diesel

Power, h. p.

4000

Max speed, kn

11.5

Fuel, t

diesel oil

Armament

1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 4 aircraft (Swordfish torpedo bombers)
Sensors type 271, 279 radars
Complement 118

Aircraft facilities (fd - 2,456 - 2,579m², ha - 0m² / 0m³): Flight deck: 137.2 x 17.9 - 18.8m, there were no hangar and lift. Aircraft fuel stowage was 22,700l.

Ship project history:  RN has been created original class of the ships, so-called "merchant aircraft carriers" (MAC) in the Second World War. They were rebuilt from tank vessels and grain carriers and outwardly resembled escort aircraft carriers but stored cargo holds and tanks. In spite of the fact that some of them had not only a continuous flight deck, but also a hangar and lift, as a matter of fact they were nevertheless merchant vessels and their main task was a carriage of goods. Aircrafts served only as reconnaissance means and self-defences, besides the air group consisted all from 3-4 planes.

Modernizations: Some ships carried 1 76/40-mm gun instead of 102-mm.

Naval service: MAC-ships sailed under Merchant Flag (17 under British and 2, Gadila and Macoma, under Dutch) and officially did not enter into RN battle order.

       Empire MacAlpine 1943

Empire MacKendrick

Empire MacRae

Miralda

 

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